Amy Pascal and David Heyman are reportedly being lined up to lead the future of James Bond as Amazon MGM prepares for its first post-Broccoli era.
With Amazon’s creative control of the Bond franchise nearing completion, attention has turned to who will produce the next phase of 007. According to Deadline, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are in active talks to take charge of the series, marking the most significant change in the franchise’s leadership since Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson took over from Cubby Broccoli thirty years ago.
Pascal’s name in particular makes sense. During her years running Sony Pictures, she worked closely with Eon Productions and built a strong working relationship with Barbara Broccoli—one marked by trust and mutual respect. Her return would provide a degree of continuity at a moment of significant change. She was there for Bond’s most commercially successful era to date, with Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and SPECTRE all released during her tenure. Skyfall alone brought in $1.1 billion worldwide. Since moving into full-time producing, Pascal has continued to deliver hits, from the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse to No Way Home, which brought in $1.95 billion.
Heyman’s credentials speak for themselves. As the architect of the Harry Potter films and a frequent presence at awards season, he would bring both franchise muscle and prestige to Bond’s future. The first to mention his possible involvement was Jeff Sneider, who wrote a couple of weeks ago that Heyman was circling Bond—and teased the idea that Alfonso Cuarón might join him. Sneider’s track record with Bond has been a bit hit and miss though, which is why we didn’t report it at the time.
While Amazon shelled out an extra $1 billion to gain creative control of the franchise from MGM, formal control of Bond’s future remains in flux. The studio’s current priority, sources say, is to produce a new Bond film—before considering any possible expansion into spin-offs or series, although the deal between Amazon and Eon has not yet closed.
Amazon declined to comment on the Pascal and Heyman talks. No director or new 007 has been announced. But the prospect of two producers of this calibre—both with deep franchise experience—taking the helm suggests Amazon’s ambitions for big-screen Bond are serious.
Whether Bond’s soul can survive the shift to a tech giant’s stewardship is a question many fans are asking. But with Pascal in the mix, at least part of the legacy might still be in safe hands.
Source: Deadline
